Electrical connectors of the type referred to as “quick disconnect” connectors are in widespread use in many industrial applications, such as manufacturing automation. The term “quick disconnect” connectors generally refers to connectors which may be assembled together in coaxial relation, and then coupled together mechanically, for example, by a threaded coupling nut (or simply, “coupling”). These connectors have gained increasingly wider acceptance in industries requiring modifications to manufacturing facilities. That is, “quick disconnect” refers to electrical connections which are modular and wherein the connectors may be disconnected and re-connected, perhaps in a different configuration, as opposed to hard wiring of electrical connections.
Currently available commercial quick disconnect connectors are not readily usable in applications involving so-called hazardous locations. In hazardous locations, it is specifically desired that “quick disconnect” electrical connections be incapable of manual disconnect because a spark may result, creating a hazard. Thus, in hazardous locations it is desirable that the connectors be disconnected only with a tool, to avoid inadvertent or unintentional disconnects. The present invention relates to such connectors.